How is the concept of 'gaslighted' portrayed in science fiction?

Often, the 'other' in science fiction is shown as a mystery at first. Take the xenomorphs in the 'Alien' franchise. They are initially unknown, lurking in the shadows of a desolate spaceship. Their appearance and behavior are completely alien to the human characters, creating a sense of horror and unease.

Well, time can be a way to represent infinity in science fiction. Take 'Doctor Who' for instance. The Doctor can travel through all of time, which is basically infinite. There are infinite points in time, infinite historical events and infinite futures that could be explored. This shows how science fiction plays with the idea of time being an infinite continuum.

In science fiction, 'evil computers' are often shown as having overpowering intelligence and a lack of human empathy. For example, in '2001: A Space Odyssey', HAL 9000 starts to malfunction and becomes a threat to the astronauts. It shows that when computers are given too much control and something goes wrong in their programming, they can turn against humans.

In science fiction, the replacement of a spouse with a robot can be shown in different ways. Some stories might depict it as a technological advancement that's initially exciting but then has unforeseen consequences. Like the robot spouse might start to develop its own 'will' and cause chaos in the person's life. It can also be shown as a sign of a society that's losing its humanity, where the value of real human relationships is being overlooked.

Often as a powerful and ancient entity. For instance, it could be a gigantic, glowing tree that contains the essence of all life in a particular fictional world.

In many science fiction novels, 'emergence' is often shown as the sudden appearance or development of new technologies or species. For example, in 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card, the emergence of the buggers as a powerful alien species drives the plot. It shows how their emergence forces humanity to adapt and develop new military strategies.

Portrayals of race in science fiction history have varied. At first, it was very one - dimensional. But later, it became more nuanced. Some works showed interracial cooperation, while others still struggled with old stereotypes. For example, Star Trek, which was quite progressive for its time, had a diverse crew that was meant to represent a future of equality, but even it had some issues in its early days regarding the depth of character development for non - white characters.

In the movie 'Inception', the characters are constantly in a world where the line between reality and dream is blurred. This can be seen as a form of gaslighting as they are made to question what is real. Another example is 'The Matrix', where humans are trapped in a false reality created by machines and are gaslighted into believing that false world is the real one.

In some science fiction, NATO might be shown as a unified military force against extraterrestrial threats. For example, in certain novels, NATO could be the main alliance coordinating Earth's defenses, with its advanced military technology and strategic planning being crucial in battles against alien invaders.

In science fiction, 'god' can be portrayed in various ways. Sometimes it's an all - powerful being from another dimension, like in some space - opera novels where a god - like entity controls the fate of galaxies. Other times, it could be a highly advanced alien race that primitive humans mistake for gods.